A FALKLANDS veteran from Lichfield has been chosen to crew a historical tall ship carrying the Invictus Games flag around the UK ahead of the event in Birmingham next year.
Rachel Dawson, 64, will join the Full Circle Expedition which is being coordinated by Turn to Starboard.
The initiative will see two traditionally-rigged tall ships, Spirit of Falmouth and Pellew, crewed by 70 veterans and serving personnel across five legs.
The 12-week expedition sets sail from Falmouth on 17th March, visiting 22 ports across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before returning home in June.
Rachel said she hoped the journey will help her re-engage with both the sea and fellow veterans to support her mental health recovery:
“Without doubt the hardest time of my life is now. Living with PTSD I lost all sense of purpose in my life.
“However, with a chance to get back to sea, learn new skills and test myself – Turn to Starboard has given me a purpose and direction.
“Through this expedition I want to rediscover the best of me.”
Throughout the journey, the crew will carry the Invictus Games Flag around the UK, raising it at each port ahead of the 12-month countdown in July to the 2027 event .
Rachel will be joining the first leg of the Full Circle expedition, sailing from Falmouth to Chatham.
Having grown up in Lichfield, she joined the Royal Navy as a naval aircraft engineer in 1977.
During her eight years of service, Rachel first served with 772 squadron Wessex 5 helicopters based at Portland in Dorset before moving on to work on Lynx helicopters with 702 and 815 squadrons at Yeovilton.
She got to sea on HMS Amazon, a type 21 frigate, in 1980, serving while the ship guarded the then Prince Charles and Diana on their honeymoon the following year.
In 1982, the vessel was sent to the Falklands.
Rachel said:
“My Navy career remains my greatest life adventure and I still miss it on a daily basis. All of my best skills and qualities can be traced back to the Navy.
“Some of my best friends are still my shipmates, despite the passing of years. I therefore found the transition to civilian life very difficult.”
After leaving the Navy, Rachel continued with a career in engineering as well as running a signwriting business.
But after suffering with mental and physical health challenges, she reached out to the Turn to Starboard charity in a bid to reconnect with fellow veterans and her love of the sea.
“For 20 years it’s been great up until last year when it all got on top of me mentally.
“My mental health and my physical health just deteriorated. Everything just looked very bleak at the time I couldn’t see a future.
“It was then that I got a call from the team at Turn to Starboard that was just an absolute relief. They just welcomed me in with open arms.
“I got that feeling of connection I’d had in the Navy almost immediately.”
The voyage is also raising £300,000 to enable Turn to Starboard to purchase another tall ship.
